INTRODUCTION
We are continuing our Bible Study series, “Living the 7 Ministry Pillars,” with a focus on “Sacrificial Giving — Time.”
GIVING OF TIME
Time is perhaps the most honest measure of our priorities. Unlike money, time cannot be borrowed or earned back. When we give our time to God’s Kingdom — through prayer, service, discipleship, and worship — we are making a statement that eternity matters more than convenience.
Jesus Himself modeled this kind of giving with perfect clarity. He gave His time to the marginalized — healing the ten lepers (Luke 17:11–19) and restoring sight to blind Bartimaeus (Mark 10:46–52). He gave His time to the sick — raising Jairus’s daughter and healing the woman with the issue of blood along the way (Mark 5:21–43). He gave His time to the seeking — sitting with Nicodemus through the night (John 3:1–21) and pursuing Zacchaeus with grace (Luke 19:1–10). He gave His time to the lost — leaving the ninety-nine to find the one (Luke 15:3–7). He was never too busy to attend to the person immediately before Him — stopping the crowd to bring back a widow’s son (Luke 7:11–15). As His followers, we are called to the same posture — present, available, and willing.
JESUS: THE MASTER OF TIME
“I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work” — John 9:4.
Þ Jesus operated with a great sense of Urgency & Mission: From the outset, Jesus Christ preached with a profound sense of urgency, knowing His time was limited. He relentlessly proclaimed the Kingdom of God, healing the sick and casting out demons, always focused on the mission.
Mark 1:15: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.”
Þ Jesus was focused on Intentional Discipleship: Despite the pressing demands of ministry, Jesus intentionally invested significant time in His disciples. He taught them, modeled servanthood, and prepared them to continue His work, demonstrating the power of focused mentorship.
Mark 3:14: “And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach.”
Jesus’ example challenges us to use our own time not just productively, but purposefully, aligning our days with God’s will and eternal priorities.
Þ Jesus was committed to Prayer & Solitude: Amid constant activity, Jesus frequently withdrew to solitary places to pray. These moments replenished His spirit, clarified His purpose, and fueled His relentless pursuit.
Luke 5:16: “And he withdrew himself into the wilderness, and prayed.”
The world measures productivity by efficiency, output, and visible achievement, but God measures a life by obedience, faithfulness, and the fruit that remains. To align our time with His will is to surrender our schedules, ambitions, and daily rhythms to His direction, trusting that His purposes are wiser than our own. Eternal priorities — souls, prayer, discipleship, and worship — endure long after earthly accomplishments fade away.
TIME AS A SACRED RESOURCE
We are all given the same 24 hours, and none of them can be recovered once spent. Time is the one resource we never get back, and every hour quietly exposes what we truly value. To give our time sacrificially is to surrender our plans to God’s purposes — steadily, faithfully, and with a willing heart.
“See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil” - Ephesians 5:15–16. In these verses, Paul calls believers not merely to manage time well, but to seize it with redemptive urgency — to live awake, discerning, and purposeful in a world that quietly drains the soul.
Three key reasons Paul gave this charge:
1. “Because the days are evil” (v.16) — The Ephesian believers lived in a pagan, morally corrupt culture. Paul’s charge is not a lesson in time management — it is a call to spiritual alertness. Every moment is to be taken hold of with intention, protected from carelessness, and surrendered to God’s purposes in a culture that quietly pulls the soul toward waste and distraction.
2. To distinguish the wise from the foolish (v.15) — Walking “circumspectly” (carefully, with discernment) was the mark of wisdom. Wasting time on worthless things was the mark of a fool. Paul was calling them to live with spiritual alertness.
3. As part of a Spirit-filled life (v.17–18), Paul immediately follows with “be not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is” and “be filled with the Spirit.” Redeeming the time was inseparable from knowing God’s will and being Spirit- led.
In short, Paul wasn’t giving a productivity tip — he was issuing a spiritual battle cry: live awake, live on purpose, because the world around you is working against the Kingdom. Giving time to God through prayer, Bible study, and fasting is more than keeping a holy routine — it is the deliberate offering of our attention, affections, and undivided presence. It is the difference between checking a box and meeting the living God. When we offer our time in service, fellowship, and discipleship, we help strengthen the life of the local church and make room for Christ’s presence among His people. In that shared labor, our hours become a quiet blessing to others and a genuine offering to the Lord.
PRACTICAL WAYS TO GIVE YOUR TIME
Þ Church Ministries: Serve faithfully in Sunday School, youth group, worship team, media, hospitality, or any area where your church needs willing hands and consistent presence.
Þ Community Outreach: Give your time to local missions, Virtual Bible Study, prison ministry, and community evangelism. Time given in service to others is time given directly to Jesus. (Matthew 25:40)
Þ Personal Devotion: A consistent daily prayer life and dedicated time in the Word are foundational forms of giving your time to God — and they fuel every other form of sacrificial giving.
Þ Discipleship & Mentoring: Invest your time in walking alongside newer believers or mentoring a youth. Mentoring is among the most valuable investments of time in the Kingdom, as it involves sharing wisdom and fostering spiritual growth. God never meant service to be limited to formal roles or official invitations. The Holy Ghost can lead any willing heart to notice needs, create opportunities, and serve the Church in quiet, powerful ways. In fact, some of the most fruitful ministry happens organically — when believers say yes to what God places before them. For example:
Þ Two members secretly partner to pray for the teacher or preacher before and during the worship service.
Þ Praying over Sunday School sessions and the students in them.
Þ Quietly noticing a need and stepping in without being asked.
o Noticing an elderly member struggling to carry items and helping them without being asked.
o Seeing that the lights are usually left on after a Sunday service, and ensuring they are turned off.
o Observing that a young mother is overwhelmed and quietly stepping in to help with her children during the service.
o Helping someone financially by recognizing their need and offering support. This could involve assembling a grocery package, buying an additional dress or shirt for them, or donating to the church’s benevolent fund, which is designated to assist members in need.
Þ Writing encouraging notes or following up with absent members.
HOW DO WE SPEND OUR TIME?
How much of your weekly schedule is intentionally set aside for God — in prayer, ministry, or service to others? Where is one area where you could sacrifice personal time to advance the Kingdom?
“I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work” – St. John 9:4.
Jesus’ words remind us that time is limited and purpose matters. They call us to examine how urgently and intentionally we use our time for Kingdom purposes, as He did.
This week’s Reflection:
1. How many hours were given to leisure vs. ministry?
2. Did you make time for prayer and devotion daily?
3. Did someone benefit from your presence and service?
4. Were there opportunities to serve that you passed by?
A Challenge to Consider
What if you committed just one additional hour per week to serving in your local church? Over the course of a year, that is 52 hours — more than a full work week — poured directly into God’s Kingdom. Small, consistent sacrifices of time compound into a remarkable Kingdom impact.
A CHARGE TO OUR MINISTRY LEADERS
Ministers, Deacons, Ministry leaders and other volunteers: our calling demands intentional dedication. Those who lead in worship through song and music carry a unique and weighty responsibility; your gift helps set the atmosphere for God’s presence and prepares hearts to receive His Word. Those who stand to deliver God’s Word carry perhaps the weightiest responsibility of all. Every sermon is a sacred stewardship of truth, and the time invested in prayer, study, and preparation determines whether a message merely informs or truly transforms. The effectiveness of our ministry and the spiritual nourishment of those we serve hinge on the time we prayerfully set aside each week. This is not merely an obligation, but a sacred privilege.
I urge you to pay close attention to the following points:
1. Prioritize Preparation: Effective teaching and impactful leadership don’t happen by accident. Devote time each week to study, prayer, and planning. This allows us to engage deeply with the material, seek God’s wisdom, and tailor our approach to best serve our respective groups.
2. Elevate Your Presence: Your consistent presence and prepared spirit are powerful testimonies. When you arrive ready and invested, it elevates the experience for every person you lead, teach, or serve. Your dedication inspires commitment and fosters an environment of spiritual growth.
3. Measure Impact, Not Effort: Our goal is not just to “show up,” but to make a tangible difference in the lives of others. The time you invest directly correlates with the depth of spiritual impact and the quality of care you can offer. Give your best, so those you serve receive the very best.
4. Worship Leaders & Musicians: Steward Your Gift: Those who lead God’s people in song and music carry the sacred responsibility of preparing not only their voices and instruments, but also their hearts. Rehearsal, prayer, and spiritual readiness are essential investments of time that help you lead others into God’s presence with excellence and humility.
5. Preachers: Guard the Word You Carry: Before addressing God’s people, we must dedicate ourselves to prayer, study, and Spirit-led prep. The pulpit is not a place for haste or assumption; it is a sacred trust where the Word of God must be handled with reverence and clarity. Private time with God shapes the authority and accuracy of public sharing.
6. Deacons: Carry the Weight with Grace: Deacons bear a precious dual calling: to serve practical needs with diligence and to care spiritually for the congregation with compassion. Their quiet faithfulness behind the scenes helps steady the church, strengthen its people, and hold the work together in grace. Do not grow weary in well-doing. The church leans on your steadiness more than you may know. Show up prepared, show up prayerful, and show up with a servant’s heart — not because you are required to, but because you are called to.
7. Media & Sound Team: Your technical excellence is a spiritual act of service, ensuring the Word is heard and seen clearly, and the service flows without distraction. When you prepare well and serve faithfully, you help remove every barrier. Continue to test your equipment. Know your role. Arrive early. The few minutes before service begins are not casual — they are critical. A distracted congregation or a missed word can break the flow of what God is doing. Your preparation is part of the ministry.
8. Ushers: The Ministry of the First Impression: As the first face many visitors and members see, ushers set the tone through warmth, order, and attentive care. Hospitality is not a formality; it is a ministry that helps people feel welcomed, valued, and ready to worship. Never treat your post as routine. Every person who walks through those doors carries a story — some are hurting, some are searching, some are returning after a long absence. Your smile, your attentiveness, and your readiness to serve may be the very thing that makes them stay.
9. Office & Administrative Team: Behind every healthy church are faithful servants who coordinate communication, organization, and countless details that keep ministry moving forward. Your consistency in small things lays the foundation for lasting Kingdom impact and ensures the church functions with care and excellence. Excellence in administration is excellence in ministry. Respond promptly, communicate clearly, and handle the affairs of the church with the same reverence you would bring to the altar. The details you manage make the mission possible.
10. Ministry Leaders: Build with Purpose: Those who plan events, lead programs, and coordinate logistics are stewards of the work entrusted to them. From setup to follow-through, every detail you manage is an act of purpose, helping Kingdom work happen decently, effectively, and in order. Plan with prayer, not just with logistics. Every event you organize is an opportunity for God to move — but only if it is bathed in prayer and executed with intentionality.
CONCLUSION
As servants who lead, let us not give God the scraps of our schedule, but the first fruits of our time. Let each of us devote ourselves sacrificially to private fellowship with the Lord — in prayer, devotion, and seeking His face — and to faithful service in the body of Christ, where our hands, gifts, and presence strengthen one another. Both callings require real sacrifice, but both also shape us into a people set apart for His glory. May we respond together with urgency, unity, and wholehearted commitment, redeeming the time for the sake of the Kingdom.
